Epiphany
by starvingstudent
Summary: Three days after Michelle left him, Tony comes to a realization...
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, here's my first attempt at a 24 fic. I hope its worth reading. Next chapter up soon.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Three days after Michelle left him, Tony comes to a realization.

OO

Tony Almeida hesitated slightly at the door before donning a neutral expression and pushing past the few standing people to find room at the bar. It wasn't very busy for a friday night, but it was still early. He hadn't planned to come until later, but he had run out of beer at home. _Home._ He scoffed at the word. It hadn't felt like home in quite some time.

He plopped himself down on the stool nearest the corner, promising himself he would move once he'd had more to drink. Just like he had promised himself the night before. And the night before that. It had been three days since she had left. The first twenty-four hours had had spent in denial, refusing to admit to the fact that she may not be coming home. Although he never told her, the sheer knowledge of her presence made him feel comforted. He then became angry, having convinced himself that he should hate her. It was her fault he had gone to prison, it was her fault he felt like shit, it was her fault he couldn't be what she needed anymore. And if he told himself enough times, he may start to believe it.

He told himself she was a horrible person for leaving him, that he should be glad she left. She had probably found someone else already. Obviously she had meant more to him than him to her. In fact, she had probably left him for someone else. That had to be it. He even convinced himself he could get over her, all it would take was one night. One girl was all it would take. He needed to go to a bar, and hook up for one night and all the pain of her leaving would be gone. He would prove to himself that he was over her, that he didn't need her and if she ever found out, she would be hurt, just like he was. And he would be glad.

Tony nodded to himself, hoping it would re-conform the plan in his head. Even though he had a fair amount of beer before leaving home and was well into his current one, he still knew it was a stupid plan. The agent that was still in him laughed and pointed out all the flaws, the biggest of which being that he would never get over her. He would never convince himself he would be glad to hurt her. That was the last thing he wanted.

He shook his head and told the voice to shut up, and reminded himself that he needed to do this. She was probably over him by now. She had likely moved on. She was probably seeing someone else right now. The thought alone made his stomach contract, and he quickly downed the rest of the drink, signaling for another. Just one more drink and he would be ready.

The first night he had proved himself useless. He had sat at the bar until close, barely looking away from the bottom of his glass. The second night he had allowed a few minutes of conversation was a couple of girls who approached him. He, however, spent those moments comparing them to Michelle and refused when they asked him to dance, turning his back on them. Tony shook his head, forcing his thoughts back to the present. He could do this.

An older man stumbled over and took a seat a few stools away from him, nodding in greeting as he sat down. He motioned for a beer without even looking at the bar tender. Tony returned the greeting and allowed his eyes to wander the rest of the bar. He made eye contact with a woman sitting at one of the tables. She smiled at him and he forced himself to smile back. He glanced at her subtly, taking in her appearance: straight blond hair, nose ring, big jewelry. She was just what he was looking for, the opposite of _her_. She motioned that she would come to him, and suddenly his throat was dry. He had been good at this once, back in college, but back then he was a marine, a somebody. Now, he was nothing. As she got closer and took a seat, he struggled with something to say. Years ago, this would have been easy, but after he had found _the one_, it was like all the skills he had developed when he was single had disappeared overnight. He had never thought he would ever be single again. The blond had taken a seat and was looking expectantly at him.

"Hey," he said, thankful to have said anything.

"Hey, I'm Lisa," the blond said.

"Tony." He said, sighing on the inside, trying to remember why he was doing this.

"What brings you here tonight, Tony?"

Tony shrugged. He really could remember why he was doing this.

Lisa tilted her head. "Not much of a talker, huh?"

Tony sighed. "No, not really." If he couldn't remember why he was doing this, then he sure as hell wasn't going to do it. He motioned for another drink.

Another man had taken the seat between Lisa and the older man who had sat earlier. Apparently the two intoxicated men had more to talk about than Tony and Lisa. The newcomer was ranting about his job.

"That's good," Lisa said. "Cause I'm not much of a talker myself."

He glanced at her, and she raised an eyebrow slightly. Tony almost laughed at how pathetic his life had become. A year ago he would never have believed it. Lisa, after realizing her comment wasn't going to elicit anything from him, continued to talk, telling him how much her friends liked to party.

Tony allowed her voice to filter through the back of his mind, focusing more of his attention on the ranting man beside her. He was complaining about how much he hated his boss and how much he hated overtime, and how bad his day had been because traffic was bad and he couldn't find a file and his boss had yelled at him. Tony almost envied the man. At least having a bad day at his job didn't mean people died.

"You kinda look familiar," Lisa was saying. "Have I seen you around here before?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope, first time here." After his two failed nights he had decided to try a new venue. And before then he had never been much of a bar dweller. After bad days at work, he and Michelle would usually go out for a drink and toast those who had been lost, but they had never come here. Tony was glad. He was reminded of her enough.

"That's weird, I come here all the time and you look so familiar."

Tony made a mental note never to come back here.

"So what do you do?"

"Not much."

"Do you have a job?"

Tony shook his head. "Not at the moment."

"Got fired?"

"Sort of," Tony said.

"What did you do?"

"I, uh, it's not important. I don't do it anymore."

After a few moments of silence between them, Lisa apparently felt the need to fill the gap and started talking about herself and her job as a waitress and her aspirations to be an actress. Tony tuned her out again, and was surprised to realize that 'ranting man' as he now referred to him was silent, while the man beside him was going on about his life. He had dark hair and was wearing rumpled clothes, and Tony decided he looked like a Tom.

"You married, Brent?" _Tom_ asked. Apparently 'ranting man' had a name. Tony shrugged, he liked 'ranting man' better.

Brent apparently said no.

"Good for yeh," _Tom_ stated, patting the younger man on the back. "They suck the life right out of yeh. Me, I've been married eighteen years. And in eighteen years she has done nothing but bitch and moan."

"That bad?"

Tom nodded and finished his beer in one gulp, wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he motioned for another. "Sometimes all I want to do is sit and watch some TV in peace. And she comes home and bitches about me not doing anything constructive. She bitches about me drinking so much. The woman just likes to bitch."

Tony shook his head slightly, still tuning out Lisa who seemed not to notice his lack of attention. Years of pretending to listen to listen to higher level agents who liked to hear themselves talk must have done him good. He had perfected the 'paying attention' face.

"Why can't the woman just leave me to live my life in peace? She's so nosy, always wanting to know what I've done with my day, always wanting to know where I'm going. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself."

Tony scoffed, slightly annoyed at the audacity of the man. After meeting the people he had, he recognized those who didn't see the big picture, didn't realize what they did affected others. Still, it was more interesting than listening to Lisa speak.

Tom was still complaining about his wife. "It's my life, and what I do with it is my choice. What's wrong with drinking on the couch with the TV? I'm not hurting anyone."

Tony was surprised to find a similarity with the man. He could distinctly remember using that argument with Michelle, and although she hadn't responded, he could read her expression. He had been hurting _her_.

"And she keeps swooping around me, checking up on me. It's so demeaning, as if I need to be checked up on. Like I can't take care of myself. She begs me to go places with her, like grocery shopping. If she's already going, what's the point in two of us going?"

Tony suddenly couldn't remember the last time he had gone shopping with Michelle. He did remember several occasions when they were first together. He had promised her he was going to teach her how to cook. They spent many trips to the supermarket with him patiently explaining the best way to pick out fruit, vegetables and meat. After a few months he had given up trying to teach her anything that had to do with the kitchen or cooking and their trips were spent with him making fun of her culinary skills, all in good fun of course.

"And she begs me to come out with, to go to parties, or our to dinner. Why does she need me to go with her? What's wrong with staying home to watch the game? I hate going out with her now. I hate her friends."

Tony shook his head, wanting to tell the guy off. Lisa was still talking. Tony stopped pretending to be listening.

"…I mean, I've had it rough. I was on my way up in the company when they fired me. It's not my fault I can't get a good job. And I'm not accepting anything lower than I deserve."

Tony decided the guy probably did deserve to get fired. He didn't have proof, but his intuition told him there were probably to many lates and sick days, too many mistakes. This man didn't seem like your stand-up citizen.

"And the wife is all on me about work. I have enough money to support myself for now, and she has a job, so why does it matter? And she keeps trying to sit with me, and touch me, and tries to get me to talk. What the hell does she want from me?"

Tony rolled his eyes. He had never met the woman, and even from her husbands obviously biased rant, he knew what the woman wanted, just attention, just to be told she was loved. How did the poor woman end up married to such an ass? She deserved better.

Tony's blood ran cold. How could he be so blind? _She_ deserved better.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lisa asked, finally realizing he wasn't giving her his complete attention.

Tony shook his head, but said nothing. How could he not have realized? He had spent so much time mourning over what he had lost that he hadn't seen what he still had. She hadn't ditched him when things got hard. She fought for him while he was in prison, she was there for him when he got out, she had been so patient and so loving. And he had blown her off for months. He had treated her horribly. He was disgusted with himself. On some level he had wanted to be miserable, to be able to simply feel sorry for himself, but he had never wanted to lose her. He still didn't. What had he done?

He had given up everything for her because she meant that much to him. He gave up his job and his freedom, and would gladly have given up his life. That's how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to be happy. All he ever wanted was for her to be happy. And he was given a second chance with her. The news of a pardon had been sudden and he had been ecstatic and thankful. All he wanted to do was to go home with her and continue their lives; their _life_. How had things become so messed up? What had he done.

Suddenly the walls seemed to be closing in, and the ceiling was lower. Tony needed to get out of there. Ignoring Lisa's incessant questions about his behavior, he pulled some bills out of his pocket and motioned to the bartender as he tossed them on the bar. He then mumbled something incomprehensible to Lisa and high-tailed it out of there.

It wasn't until he was quite a few blocks from there that he slowed his pace. He found a bench plopped himself down, his head in his hands.

_What the hell had he done?_

Tony groaned in frustration, the effects of the alcohol quickly dissipating. He had do to something. He had to fix it.

_He would fix it. He would talk to her. He would explain. She would understand. She would take him back. He hoped…_

He needed to talk to her right away. He couldn't wait. Tony glanced at his watch. It was after 1 in the morning. He couldn't talk to her now. He would wait. He'd wait for her forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Four days.

It had been four long days since she had seen him; since she had left him.

Four days.

Michelle sighed to herself as she sat back on the couch, wrapping the blanket as tight around her as she could, even though the weather was warm, she hadn't stopped being cold for four days.

Four days.

The simplicity of those two words brought tears to her eyes. She still couldn't believe she had done it, couldn't believe she had left him. She chided herself on not being there for him, not being strong enough, not being a good enough wife. He had given up everything for her, and look where it got him. She couldn't stand watching him become less of a person everyday. She couldn't stand watching him become more and more depressed. She couldn't stand feeling guilty every time she stepped into any of the CTU and related buildings. She couldn't watch him shut her out anymore, especially with the knowledge that everything that had happened to him was because of her.

If only she had listened to orders and not gone into the hotel. If only she had been infected, or hadn't gotten herself captured, or had escaped sooner… The list went on. She had so many regrets, the biggest of which was her inability to be there for him after he got out of prison. She hadn't been enough for him.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She sighed and muted the television as she got up. She grabbed the twenty off the table beside her before making her way to the door. She had ordered pizza. She wasn't hungry, but knew she had to eat something.

She stubbed her toe leaving the living room and silently cursed the table leg. She cursed the whole room, even the house. Michelle made her way to the door, giving one last glare to the coffee table on her way by, before unlocking the deadbolt and swinging open the door.

Suddenly she found herself, wearing pajama pants and an old sweat shirt, her arm stretched out with a twenty dollar bill, not to Steve, the pizza guy, who after four days she knew on a first name basis, but to Tony.

She blinked in surprised silence a few times, unable to say anything as she took in his appearance. He was clean-shaven, and was wearing real clothes, not the sweatpants and old shirts she was accustomed to. His expression told her he was tired, and just as apprehensive as she was, but his eyes were what held her attention the most. They were brighter than she had seen in a year. He almost looked like the old Tony.

"Hi," he said quietly. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but remained silent, unable to form his thoughts.

"Hi," she answered, finally pulling her hand back to pocket the twenty. Her throat was dry. She was aware of how absurd it was that she was nervous. After all they had been through together, she shouldn't be nervous about talking to him. "I uh, ordered pizza," she offered in explanation to the money.

He smiled at her, not a big smile, but a smile. It was a slightly depressed smile, but Michelle knew why. A year ago, he wouldn't have hesitated before countering with a comment about her cooking abilities. She was sure those thoughts were in the back of his mind, but he wouldn't voice them. Not now. Maybe never again.

Tony broke eye contact for a moment, scratching the back of his head. He looked back at her, not quite meeting her eye, and bit his lip, as if struggling for words. Michelle waited patiently, knowing his behavior was due to nerves. He finally took a breath and met her gaze. "Look, Michelle, I…I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. That's the last thing I wanted. I, uh, I don't know how things got this far…" He trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Michelle remained silent, now knowing what to say. She hadn't expected what he was saying and didn't know how to respond. She didn't follow what exactly he was trying to tell her.

Tony offered her another small smile, knowing she was confused. His expression remained soft as he struggled with how he could express himself.

"I love you Michelle."

Michelle felt her heart tug at his words. It had been so long since he had told her, so long since she had felt it.

"Not matter what happened between us, no matter what I did or said to you, I always loved you. I need you to know that. I need to know you know that."

Michelle felt tears pricking her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of him. Her continued silence told him she hadn't known that.

Tony seemed to hesitate at this. He took a moment to take a breath before continuing. "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I wanted to make you happy. After I came home, I don't know its like I was dreaming, and I suddenly woke up. I can't believe how badly I've treated you. How I must have made you feel-"

"Is everything okay here, Michelle?" A male voice cut off his quiet confession.

Michelle's eyes left Tony for the first time, to see Steve, pizza in hand and an apprehensive look on his face, standing behind Tony. She hadn't even noticed him approaching. She suddenly realized they were still on the doorstep, Tony standing awkwardly on the porch, while she held on to the open door for dear life.

Michelle offered Steve a quick smile and nodded. "Everything's fine, Steve." She hoped he wouldn't notice the dampness in her eyes, as she pulled the twenty out and exchanged it for the pizza. Tony had back away, giving them room, still unsure of his place right now.

"You sure?" Steve asked, meeting her eyes.

Michelle nodded again, meeting his eyes. "Yeah, don't worry. And keep the change."

"Thanks," Steve offered. "See you tomorrow," he said jokingly as he headed back to his car.

Tony and Michelle were left in silence once again. Tony was still standing awkwardly on the porch and Michelle was not in the doorway, holding onto the pizza for dear life.

"Already on a first name basis with the pizza guy?" Tony asked quietly, a hint of a smile at the small joke.

Michelle smiled, tears returning at the apprehensiveness surrounding the small joke, that once in the lives had been commonplace. "Well, you know me…"

Tony smiled at this. "Yeah…I do…"

Michelle made a decision and stepped back, motioning for him to follow her. "Come on inside." She left the door open as she wandered to the kitchen, knowing he would close it. After a few moments he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen as she was pulling down two plates and handing him one. She took a seat at the kitchen table, where she had already put down the pizza, and motioned for him to sit as well.

Tony sat across from her and followed her lead by taking a slice from the box between them. He placed it on his plate, and left it, as if afraid to take a bite. He was hesitating for words when she spoke up.

"How did you know I was here?"

Tony seemed surprised at her question. "I, uh, don't know. I just expected you to be here. I knew your parents were away."

Michelle was surprised, she hadn't realized he had listened when she told him of her parent's trip.

"So…why are you here?" Michelle asked lightly, praying he wouldn't take her question the wrong way.

Tony could still read his wife well, and knew exactly what she was asking. She wasn't angry at his presence; she just needed some answers. He laughed lightly. "I actually came to see if I could convince you to come out for a coffee with me so we could talk."

Michelle smiled at this.

"But this is better," Tony continued, motioning at the pizza. He was silent for a moment. "Michelle, there's some things I need to explain. And then I need to apologize, a lot."

Michelle remained silent, not trusting her voice, but motioned for him to continue.

Tony understood her silence, and offered a quick smile, appreciating the opportunity he was being given to explain himself, even if he didn't deserve it. He sighed, knowing he had to tell her everything.

"After you left I got angry. I tried to convince myself I was mad at you. I was mad at myself for being in pain, and I convinced myself I needed to get over you. I, uh, went to a bar wednesday night," he said, knowing Michelle would realize what he had tried to do. "But I couldn't go through with it, so I went back thursday night, and then last night. I just wanted to fell like, I don't know I had to get back at you or something."

Michelle's expression darkened at his words. She appreciated that he was trying to let her in, but not sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Nothing happened," he explained quickly, and Michelle tried to discreetly let out the breath she was holding. "Believe me, less than nothing happened. A really annoying woman rambled about her really annoying life. All she made me feel was how much I hate being single."

At this, Michelle allowed a small smile. "Me too." She said quietly.

"So, I tuned her out, and these two guys next to her were ranting about their lives, and the one was going off about his wife. He kept saying how much she bitched at him and bothered him, and tried to talk and tried to get him to do things with her, or even to get off the couch, or stop drinking…" Tony trailed off as Michelle realized where he was going.

"And I wanted to hit him. I kept thinking about how much he disgusted me, and how his poor wife deserved better. And suddenly I realized that the annoying slob in the bar, who had no life, and took it out on the one person he was supposed to be there for was me, and the wife who deserved better…was you." He remained silent for a few seconds.

Michelle felt her throat constrict, and knew she wouldn't be able to stop the tears from flowing over. She hated crying in front of him, but was comforted by the thought that he was the only person she had cried in front of in her entire adult life. "You're not an annoying slob," she said lightly, trying to lighten the atmosphere as she wiped her sleeve across her eyes.

Tony smiled, and even laughed lightly, following her lead. "Maybe not, but I was on my way there. So, I realized all of this, and hightailed it out of there. I wanted to go and see you right away, and tell you everything, but it was one a clock in the morning, and I didn't think it would be a good idea."

"So you waited until now," Michelle offered.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I came by earlier, but you weren't here. I assumed you were at work."

Michelle nodded, informing him she had been at work.

"But I had a productive day," Tony continued. "I got up early and went for a run, which in hindsight was a bad idea, cause every muscle in my body hurts right now, but I did it."

Michelle laughed, knowing it had been a year since his last run.

"Then I cleaned the house, and poured out all of the alcohol."

Michelle smiled at this. She didn't think he had a problem in that he was addicted, but she had wished every day that he would turn to her instead of the bottom of a glass.

"I'm not going to drink anymore," Tony stated. "And I'm going to find a job. I even started looking today."

"You did have a productive day."

Tony nodded. "I'm going to put my life back together, and that means actually having a life, not just the TV. That means exercise and a job, and most importantly, you."

Michelle closed her eyes as the tears overflowed once again. She felt Tony reach across the table to squeeze her hand that was sitting next to the long-forgotten pizza. When she opened her eyes again, he was meeting her gaze, his eyes moist as well. He pulled his hand away and continued.

"I feel like I haven't been in control since I got home. It's like I've been on autopilot or something. And last night I woke up. And I never want to go back to being like that. We were given a second chance and I threw it away. When I told you twenty years in prison was worth it for you to be alive, I meant it. I just, don't know what happened. I never regretted what I did."

"You should have," Michelle's quiet voice surprised him.

"What?"

"You should have regretted it. You should have let them kill me. You shouldn't have put the lives of so many people at risk…"

"Michelle-"

"No, Tony, you shouldn't have done it," Michelle said, her voice rising. "Look where it got you! You were charged with _treason, _and sent to _prison_! It ruined you life. I…I ruined your life."

Tony shook his head and attempted to say something, but she cut him off again.

"You should have just let me go, Tony. You had a sworn duty to the people of this country."

"And I had a sworn duty to you," Tony said forcefully. "When I said my vows, I meant them. I swore to love and protect you for the rest of my life. And those vows meant more to me than anything else."

Michelle was taken aback by his words. "You still should have let me go," she said quietly, tears now falling freely down her face. "Or I should have just died in the hotel."

"Hey!" Tony said. "Don't you ever say that." He moved his chair around so he was closer to her.

Michelle shook her head. "It would have solved everything. I wouldn't have been around for Saunders men to grab, and the choice would have been out of your hands."

Tony now also had tears trailing down his face. "If you had died in that hotel, I don't know what I would have done." He paused, trying to organize his thoughts.

"Back on that day, when everything happened," he paused as his hand unconsciously went to his neck and met the scar that would be an eternal reminder. "On that day, I hated myself for being so horrible to you. I never really apologized for that. And when you called and told me you were in the hotel…" He trailed off as tears appeared in his eyes. "I didn't know what I would have done if I lost you. If you had been infected, I probably would have driven over to the hotel and walked inside. I…I couldn't stand the thought of you…of you dying alone. If you were going to go, I was going to be there."

"Tony…" Michelle said quietly, not knowing what else to say after his confession.

"And then when you called and told me you were going to be okay, I swore to myself I would never let anything like that happen again. I actually thought about taking that job at Langley, because it would put you out of danger. And then, when Saunders called, and I saw you on the video feed, you looked so scared…it wasn't even a choice."

"But it was a choice, Tony."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Fine it was a choice, and I made the right one." Before she could argue, he continued. "Michelle, they threatened to cut out your eye when I hesitated. And they would have done it. And if I had refused, they would have done a lot worse, and then they would have killed you…on camera…right in front of me. And that wasn't going to happen."

Michelle didn't know what to say. They had never talked about this before. When Tony was arrested and in prison, any time she went to visit, he hadn't wanted to talk about it, saying he wanted to hear happy things. And then when he got out, he had claimed it didn't matter anymore, it was over.

"Michelle, I need you to know that I _never_ regretted what I did. Not once. I would give up everything for you, in a heartbeat. I don't know why I did what I did when I came home. I was an idiot. We were given a second chance, and I didn't take advantage of that. But I promise you; I'm going to fix it." He reached for her hand again, and this time, threaded his fingers through hers. "I'm going to make it up to you. I'm going to be the person I was before, the person I actually am. I'm going to get a job and do things around the house, and stop drinking, and go out, and cook again. I promise you, if you'll take me back, I'll do anything. Absolutely anything. You name it."

Michelle couldn't remember a time in her life when her emotions ran this high. Her throat was so tight she couldn't say a thing. The tears were now streaking down her face, one after another so that it was like a continual stream. She gripped his hand tightly, feeling relief at getting her thoughts off her chest, relief at seeing the light back in his eyes, relief at finally feeling loved again.

"I love you, Michelle," Tony was saying quietly. "More than anything. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. And I don't care what I have to do to get you back. I'll do anything." He had opened himself up to her, his cards on the table.

Although her voice was quiet, there was no hesitation present. "Just take me home." And then she was in his arms. He had pulled himself out of his chair, and kneeling in front of her, wrapped his around her, pulling her in close. Michelle wasted no time in snaking her arms around his middle, pulling herself into his chest as her hands made fists around handfuls of his shirt. She just wanted to feel close to him. She smiled as she cried against his chest, knowing she was soaking his shirt, but also knowing he wouldn't care. He shifted his weight and seemed to pull her in even closer, raising her up against him.

His face was buried in her hair and she knew he was crying by the dampness on her neck. But she didn't care. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip and allowed herself to revel in the feeling of finally being back in his arms. They lost track of time, neither being able to say how long they stayed like that before finally pulling away.

"I love you too," Michelle offered quietly when she was staring into his eyes again. He smiled and leaned towards her, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before capturing her lips with his. The kiss seemed to portray everything he was thinking, all of his emotions. It would have been enough to make her cry again had she not already been cried out. When he finally pulled away there was nothing but raw emotion in his eyes.

Michelle smiled at him, deciding he had taken the lead enough this evening. She took his hand and stood up, pulling him with her. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she smiled up at him. "Take me home," she repeated lightly.

He smiled down at her, reaching out to brush a stray curl out of her eyes. "You sure?" He asked, both of them knowing he meant more than about just tonight.

Michelle nodded confidently. "I've never been more sure."

AN: So there's chapter 2. Thanks for all of the reviews, and for those who couldn't guess from this chapter, it is AU. lol. I hope the characters seem real, I never liked that Michelle left and Tony let her. It didn't seem like either of them. I can maybe see her finally giving up and leaving, but I wouldn't see him accepting it. Lol. I don't know…Anyway, chapter 3 soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Michelle blinked sleepily as she slowly opened her eyes and sighed happily, reveling in the feeling of, for the first time in months, being warm. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a few moments of serenity, aware of every inch of her body that was connected to his; the arms that were wrapped tightly around her middle, the fingers weaved with hers, the legs entwined with her legs, and the soft breaths landing on the back of her neck.

Ever since that fateful day, Michelle had kept memories like these, waking up together, at the forefront of her mind, trying to remember what happiness felt like. However, she knew she had never appreciated it fully when she had the chance. She had always taken it for granted. That would never happen again. She knew just how lucky she was now.

The even breathing against her neck was interrupted and Tony began to stir behind her. Michelle smiled and rolled over in his arms, allowing him to pull her close to him as he rolled onto his back. She rested her head on his shoulder and yawned.

"Morning," he offered smiling down at her, following her yawning. He then kissed the top of her head.

"Morning." Michelle closed her eyes once more and drifted for a few moments, not quite ready to greet the day yet. After getting home the night before, they had reheated the pizza and spent hours talking. They talked through everything that had happened in the past year. They had hashed out problems. They had cried. In the end they were both left tired and emotionally drained, but feeling happier and lighter than they had in a long time. And when Tony had finally taken her hand and led her upstairs, she realized that she had never loved him more.

Tony seemed quite content lying in peace for a few minutes. He also closed his eyes, and allowed his hand to lazily draw circles over her back before brushing through her hair. He still couldn't believe that he had done it; he had gotten her back. He still couldn't believe how badly he had treated her, but he was determined to make it up. When they had talked the night before, he had brought up, and she agreed, going to counseling, just to make sure nothing got in their way again. She meant too much for him to lose ever again.

"I cannot remember the last time I slept that well," Michelle finally spoke against his shoulder.

Tony smiled. "Me neither. We'll have to do it again some time."

Her laughter at this was music to his ears. It had been too long since he heard that sound. "How about tonight?" She offered jokingly.

"I'll see if I can fit you in," he spoke.

Michelle mumbled something incoherent against his chest.

He rolled his eyes, a smile on his lips. "How about every night for the rest of our lives?"

At his words Michelle pulled herself further up his body and pressed her lips against his, her eyes bright. Tony knew she was trying to express the emotions she was feeling. He kissed her back, just as strongly and gently rolled their bodies over so he was over her. She responded by pulling him in closer, as if she couldn't get him close enough. It had been a long time. They had been too exhausted the night before to do anything other than fall into bed together.

"I love you," Tony whispered when he finally came up for air. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing hard.

"I love you too," her breathing was rapid too, and her fingers were in his hair. She smiled up at him, her eyes portraying nothing other than love, and trust, and desire. She opened her mouth and pulled his lips back down to hers.

00000

A few hours later, Michelle found herself sitting up on one of the stools in the kitchen watching her husband work away at the stove. As she sat marveling at his ability to juggle multiple frying pans with ease, she thought back to the many times this situation had presented itself in their past. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed him, missed _this_ until right now. _This_ was their life, the whole package.

Tony turned from the stove to grab plates off the counter. He smiled at her as their eyes met for a brief instant. He easily scooped a wonderful combination of greasy breakfast food onto the plates, turned off the burners and set a plate down in front of Michelle before settling next to her.

Michelle hungrily dug in. "This is great," she said cheerfully. "I missed your cooking."

Tony stiffened slightly at her words.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Michelle said, realizing what she had said. "I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean…"

Tony was shaking his head. "It's okay, Michelle. We shouldn't have to tiptoe around each other. I screwed up, I was an idiot." Michelle tried to interrupt, but he wouldn't let her. "It's okay," he repeated. "It's true. I stopped cooking. And we both know you can't cook," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Michelle laughed at this.

"But seriously, it's okay. We're going to be okay. I promise. I'm never going to be that person again. I'm going to get a job and go back to being the old Tony, the real Tony. And you'll never be left to fend for yourself in the kitchen again." He said with a smile.

Michelle laughed again. "Good," she said quietly. She paused in her eating for a minute and leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a breath. "Good," she repeated.

Tony leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes as well, still barely believing she had taken him back. He was one very lucky guy. He was determined to become the man she deserved.

AN: Okay, so it's short, but it didn't seem right merging it with the next chapter. Sorry about the delay, but the real world got in the way. lol. Oh, and this is AU, for those who asked, or haven't yet realized. Anyway, next chapter already started.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Bill Buchanan whistled almost silently to himself as he marched down Division's main corridor, hesitating only briefly before turning the opposite direction of his office. Although he had only transferred to Los Angeles a few short weeks ago, her office had already become part of his regular path upon arrival to work. He had worked with Michelle in Seattle when she had spent a few months working with him for the Homeland Security restructuring. Bill had been surprised when he had first met her. She hadn't met the expectations he had after reading her file. He hadn't thought much about the prospect of working with a woman who was adamantly and publicly standing by a traitor.

However, he was pleasantly surprised upon their first meeting. Michelle was good at what she did; she had been a great asset to their team. And he found that she was a good person. She had the right values for this job, the right attitude. He had enjoyed the few months they had worked side-by-side as colleagues. Although he didn't want to admit it to himself, the thought of working with her again had factored into his decision to accept the transfer to Los Angeles.

Another thing he tried to not admit to himself was the small level of disappointment he had felt upon hearing of Tony Almeida's presidential pardon and subsequent release from federal prison. He had tried to be happy for Michelle, but a little voice in his head kept wondering what it would be like...

Bill donned a neutral expression as he turned the last corner to her office, and was surprised to not see a band of light shinning around the outline of the door. It was the first time sine his transfer to Los Angeles that she had not beat him to work. Bill glanced at his watch and furrowed his brow. Although she was not required to be in for another hour, she had always come in quite early, especially the last week. She was in before him and left after him. Although she hadn't said anything, Bill suspected problems at home. As much as he wanted her to be happy, and wanted the best for her, that little voice wondered if _he_ was best for her. Bill sighed and headed back down the hall toward his office, trying not to look too concerned.

0000

Michelle felt fifty pounds lighter as she made her way through security and headed through the maze that was Division towards her office. Upon accepting the transfer to CTU years earlier, she had been apprehensive about the open concept, but now missed it horribly. She missed the human contact. She greeted her coworkers as she passed, knowing she was a little out of character, especially for the past few weeks, but didn't care. She felt too good.

She stepped into her sparsely decorated office and signed into her computer system. It promised to be a relatively boring day. She had been assigned a project that was required by Friday, but had already finished during her avoid-going-home-to-an-empty-house work marathon the previous week. There were weekly system checks she would work on today. It would give her something to do.

"You broke our pact," the voice in her doorway startled her out of her thoughts.

Michelle turned to the see Bill leaning against her doorframe. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, trying to look innocent. After working what felt like more overtime than regular hours the first few weeks after Bill's transfer, they had made a pact that they would not work any weekends this month.

Bill rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I checked the logs and you were in for more than ten hours on Saturday."

"So, you're spying on me?" She challenged, jokingly.

Bill shrugged. "Just discovering which staff members I can trust."

Michelle laughed at this. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It won't happen again, I promise."

Bill scoffed. "Like I believe that. The least you could have done was call me. I would have come in if I'd known our pact meant so little to you." His voice sounded serious, but Michelle knew better. Two of the qualities that contribute to being good at their kind of work are being good actors when needed, and being able to read people.

Michelle offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I just...I really needed to not be around other people."

Bill hesitated before deciding to probe a little deeper. "Is everything okay? You seemed a little down last week."

Michelle was surprised by Bill's question. They had become close at work in Seattle, and she enjoyed his companionship, but they very rarely strayed outside of work related conversation. She was suddenly aware the expression on his face portrayed a little more than friendly concern.

"Everything is fine," she answered, smiling brightly both at the thought and the realization that she was right. Everything was fine; everything was _great_.

Bill appeared to want to ask more, but refrained. "Good to hear," he told her, nodding. Michelle would have let it go, but the expression that still masked his face told her she needed to tell him more.

"I was going through some personal problems last week, but everything has been worked out," she told him. "I'm sorry if I brought that into the office," she added, trying to make it seem like a conversation about work.

Bill shook his head. "I didn't mean it that way, Michelle. You're one of the best agents we have, and you're very good at keeping your personal life separate," his voice was steady and professional, but his eyes gave him away. He didn't want her to keep her personal life separate, not from him. "On a personal level, I was worried." He seemed sincere, but she was unsure which context he meant it in.

Michelle sighed and lowered her voice, not wanting anyone to overhear. "Tony and I have been having some problems," she admitted. "It's been hard since he got out of prison."

Bill looked surprised that she was confiding in him. "I guess that can't be easy," he said, sympathetically.

Michelle shook her head. "No, but its better now."

"You're okay?" Bill asked, concern etching his features, with just a hint of something else.

Michelle tried to read his expression, not knowing how to decipher it. It couldn't be what she thought. She would have noticed before. "We're fine," she answered, "Great even."

Bill smiled. "Good to hear it," he told her before glancing at his watch and excusing himself.

Michelle sat silently for a few moments, replaying the conversation in her head, before sighing and shaking the thoughts free. She was overanalyzing, she would have noticed before if he thought of her as anymore than a work friend.

0000

Tony hung up the phone and groaned as he buried his face in his hands. That morning he had been so motivated and optimistic that he had forgotten the horrible process of trying to find a job that had landed him in his depression in the first place. He was determined not to let that happen again. He had too much to lose.

He allowed himself to wallow for a few minutes before scratching the number off his list and moving on to the next. He wished he hadn't gone for a run that morning. He really needed to relieve some tension now, but knew if he ran again he wouldn't be able to walk the next day. His muscles were already screaming at him for having used them so little in the past year.

Of the many places he had called today, half had already filled the position, and many would not put him through upon passing his name to their supervisor. He had only managed to get himself one interview for the following afternoon, and it didn't look promising.

He hung up the phone for the umpteenth time, silently cursing the man he had talked to, even though he knew it wasn't his fault. He crossed the number off his list and faltered as he moved to the next number. Tony's fragile self-esteem couldn't take anymore of this for today. He glanced at the clock, noting that Michelle would be home soon. He pushed the papers away from himself and got up, making his way to the kitchen. He wanted to do something nice for her.

0000

Michelle pulled Tony's car into the driveway, grabbing her bag as she hopped out of the driver's seat. They had taken his car home Saturday night, just wanting to be together. The plan had been to pick it up on Sunday, and they had gone out to get groceries with the plan of Tony dropping her off at her parents to pick up her car on the way home from the supermarket. The grocery shopping had gone as planned, but it wasn't until Michelle went to leave for work and found herself standing in the driveway, keys in hand with no car to use them on that she realized they had failed to get her car. She had laughed at their forgetfulness and made her way back inside, meeting Tony at the door, a smirk on his face and his keys in his hand, having just realized himself. Michelle had rolled her eyes as she traded her keys for his. She made her way to the car, knowing his laughing eyes were on her the whole time.

Michelle stepped into the house, smiling as the aroma from the kitchen wafted around her. She stepped out of her shoes and made her way into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of her husband at the stove, apron hanging around his neck and a spatula in his hand.

"Hey," she called as she entered the room.

He turned around, meeting her eyes and smiling. "Hey, dinner's almost ready."

Michelle returned his smile as she dropped her bag on the chair and stepped around the island in the kitchen to wrap her arms around Tony waist, resting her face against his back as she breathed in his familiar smell. She felt one of Tony's hand wrap around her fingers and squeeze them gently. After a moment, she heard a small noise as he rested the spatula down beside the drying pan and used his hands to gently turn her, so she was facing his chest. He planted a kiss on her head before placing a finger under her chin and gently raising her face to meet her eyes.

"You okay?" He asked gently, cocking his head slightly.

She smiled tiredly, looking away for a moment before meeting his eyes once more and shrugging. "Yeah, just had a long day." From his expression, she knew he suspected more, but wouldn't push it, not yet. Their relationship needed more time to heal before he would push. This was the same reason she wouldn't mention her suspicions about Bill. He gazed into her eyes for a moment, before smiling and kissing her quickly. After a moment, he removed one hand from around her waist to resume whatever it was he was doing on the stove. She closed her eyes and leaned into his body, thankful for the umpteenth time in the last few days that she had him back.

Michelle felt Tony's arm return to its place around he waist, but was surprised by the movement he forced on her body, as he turned away from the stove, keeping her in front of him. She pulled her head away from his chest, a questioning look in her eyes. "What are you doing?"

Tony's eyes were sparkling as he smirked at her. "Just keeping you away from the food."

Michelle's jaw dropped as she realized what he had said, and glared at him. She scoffed and pushed her self away from him, pulling away from his arms.

"Hey," he protested, trying to keep her close.

"Nope, you ruined it," she muttered, moving away to sit at the island and glower at him.

He rolled his eyes as he stirred the contents of the frying pan, knowing she wasn't mad at him. "You take things far too seriously," he stated, defending himself. He cringed slightly at her single raised eyebrow and silence. After grabbing plates from the cupboard, he masterfully divided the stir-fry onto the dishes, setting one plate down in front of his wife before ducking around her chair to the seat next to her, running a hand gently across her hair on the way by.

Michelle smiled at the all too familiar gesture. "Thanks," she offered as she picked up her fork.

"You're very welcome."

"So, how was your day?" She asked, trying to keep her question light. She was pleasantly surprised by the wry smile on his face and honesty in his eyes.

"It could have been better," he said, shrugging. "But it could have been worse. I have an interview tomorrow afternoon."

Michelle looked up in surprise. "That's great."

Tony took a breath before replying. "I don't think so. Its just a small security company. They didn't seem very promising. I only got to talk to the secretary and managed to convince her to book me an interview, but I doubt the manager will be impressed."

Michelle hesitated, not sure of what to say to comfort him, knowing there was a great possibility that telling him he was wrong could be a lie.

He offered her a comforting smile. "It's okay Michelle, I get that this isn't going to be easy. I'm okay, really." He reached over to squeeze her hand for a moment.

Michelle smiled and nodded. "Good."

"I've decided to take a new approach to the whole job thing. I'm going to be completely upfront about the whole thing. I have re-vamped my resume, adding notice of the arrest and pardon and everything in the cover letter. I think its a better way, I hope at least."

Michelle nodded. "I think you're right." She hesitated slightly before continuing. "I could give it a read, if you want."

Tony smiled and nodded. "I'd really like that."

Michelle smiled back at him, feeling her cheeks redden at the intensity of his gaze.

He smirked and laughed slightly as he reached a hand to wrap around hers.

Michelle laughed aloud as well as she squeezed his hand tightly, her heart light with the knowledge that their life was back on track. They would be okay.

AN: Hey, so sorry about the delay. Oh, and I was wondering if anyone could help me. I read the first part of a TM fic a while ago and can't seem to find it again to read the rest. It started when they were just starting to date and were keeping it a secret, until Michelle answered Tony's phone by accident in the middle of the night. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Please let me know if it does. lol.


End file.
